Ladies Empowering Encouraging Network

Trying to Conceive

There are a number of factors that you need to consider before embarking on the journey to becoming pregnant.

These factors include:

Your emotions

Your health

Your diet

Information you need to know to place you in a good position and a great starting place.

Emotions

Trying to conceive can be an emotional time especially if it takes longer than expected, this maybe due to lots of factors.

This period can be a very emotional time for you and your husband. As you may find that it’s not quite going to plan even though you thought it would take a month or a couple of months and 6, 9, 12, or even years later you are still trying to get pregnant even if you are doing everything you should be physically to prepare and things just aren’t happening how you thought they would.

This inevitably starts to cause stress both on you, your husband and relationship, even for the matured Christian. Every month becomes a waiting game, waiting to see if this month will be the month – wishing for you period not to arrive, getting excited when you are a day or 2 late, only to have all hopes dashed when it arrives a day or so later.

I went through this emotional state, agonising times and struggles and I must confess it was not easy at all but I resolved to stand on the word of God and not let the struggles topple me.

So if you’re struggling to get pregnant, there are a number of things to consider about your lifestyle to start with. The key starting point being spiritual and I will tell you why?

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1 v 4 – 5

Before you and your husband became a couple or even planned to be married, God already had a plan for your unborn children. So at the time you and your husband decided it is time to start a family, God already knew about it. He already know and formed your children in the spirit and He had a wonderful plan for them.

Spiritual

Starting with spiritual, questions to ponder upon:

Are you a born again christian? To find out more about what this means see my blog in this link.

Once you know the word to focus on then the next steps to take is prayer for God’s divine help, you can find some prayer points to help you here in the ‘Prayer to help you conceive’

Your Health

You’re more likely to get pregnant if you and your husband are both in good health. Making some changes to your lifestyle may improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.

Medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, obesity and other problems can affect your pregnancy.

Getting rid of stress is very important during this period. Stress can be linked to many health issues and it starts with the mind. So learn to de-clutter your mind from stress. Listen to music, go for walks and chat to your husband to share your fears.

Your diet and exercise

Being overweight or underweight can affect your chances of conceiving. Too much or too little body fat can make your periods irregular or stop them completely, which can affect your ability to conceive.

Your weight is healthy if your body mass index (BMI) is between 20 and 25. Women whose BMI is more than 30 or under 19 may have problems conceiving. If your husband’s BMI is more than 29, his fertility is likely to be lower than normal.

Fertility Investigations

Information from NHS choice website covers some of the key fertlity investigations and they are listed below:

Fertility tests

This page lists some of the most common initial fertility tests. Your GP can refer you for these tests, which will usually happen in hospital or at a fertility clinic.

Sperm test

In about one-third of cases, fertility problems are due to the male partner. Sometimes, a lack of sperm or sperm that are not moving properly can cause a failure to conceive. Your GP can arrange a sperm test. The male partner will be asked to produce a sperm sample and take it for analysis, probably at your local hospital.

Blood tests to check ovulation

Levels of hormones in a woman’s blood are closely linked to ovulation, when the ovaries release an egg into the fallopian tubes. Hormone imbalances can cause ovulation problems, and a blood test can help determine whether this is happening. Going through a phase of not having periods, or having irregular are also periods signs of ovulation problems. The most common cause of ovulation problems is polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Test for chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK. It can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and fertility problems. Your GP can refer you for a test for chlamydia. This can be a urine test or a vaginal swab.

Ultrasound scan

An ultrasound scan can be carried out to check the woman’s ovaries, womb and fallopian tubes. In a transvaginal ultrasound scan, which takes place in hospital, a small ultrasound probe is placed in the vagina. This scan can help doctors check the health of your ovaries and womb.

Certain conditions that can affect the womb, such as endometriosis and fibroids, can prevent pregnancy from happening. The scan can also check for blockages in your fallopian tubes (the tubes that connect the ovaries and the womb), which may be stopping eggs from travelling along the tubes and into the womb.

X-ray of fallopian tubes

This is called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG). Opaque dye is injected through the cervix while you have an X-ray. The dye will help your doctors to see if there are any blockages in your fallopian tubes. Blockages can prevent eggs passing down the tubes to the womb, and so stop pregnancy occurring.

If you have been getting pregnant but unable to carry it through, see the article on miscarriages to signpost you to some useful information.